


Takeoff

by nainjun (longassride)



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: A little angst, Alternate Universe - College/University, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Sequel, chenle is renjun's baby brother, jaemin as aeronautical engineering student, jaemin wants to be taken care of, renjun as business school student
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-02 21:58:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16313411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/longassride/pseuds/nainjun
Summary: takeoff (noun)take·off | \ˈtāk-ˌȯf"a rise or leap from a surface in making a jump or flight or an ascent in an aircraft or in the launching of a rocket."





	Takeoff

**Author's Note:**

> this is the sequel of "the tree is too far but monkey bar will do too". this isn't strongly linked to the previous story but to understand the characters better, i suggest reading the previous one. this is like... the calmer, less havoc version of the fic lol. enjoy better by listening to John Park's "The Wind" :)

Renjun puts down his brush in confusion hearing the doorbell rings. He washes his acrylic-stained hands with a frown forming on his forehead, he notices it from the mirror. His last class was at ten and he is free to paint in his room at this hour.

 

_Right, who the hell rings the bell at one in the afternoon? Wait, is it mom? But mom won’t ring the doorbell, she has the spare key. Or… is dad’s flight got advanced that he arrives at this hour? But he won’t ring the doorbell too._

 

The boy scurries to the door, using the front of his soles to minimize the sound. Chenle is taking a nap in his room and he can’t afford the crying mess if he accidentally wakes him up. Renjun unlocks the door, forgetting his parents’ advice to see the intercom before answering the doorbell, and pulls it open to see the mysterious guest.

 

“Who-” Renjun’s sentence is halted when he sees the familiar tall figure, carrying his converse duffle bag and wearing the black, worn-out converse shoes that he knows too well. The shorter looks upward to see Jaemin’s face, his usual loving smile is bloomed but it doesn’t reach his eyes like any other days. He looks tired and honestly, Renjun can sense it that not only his body that is fatigued but also his mind.

 

The boy says nothing when he steps closer to Renjun and suddenly drops his body to him, winding both arms around his waist to keep them from kissing the floor. Renjun’s arms are trapped between their chests as he tries to register the whole situation, stiffened and useless under Jaemin’s weight. But he struggles to free them when he seeps in the taller’s tiredness and begins patting the boy’s head softly, carefully as if a little more force will break Jaemin into pieces. He feels Jaemin’s embrace tightens around his waist and he also tightens his arms around his neck, whispering sweet nothings when he even has no idea of things that might’ve happened to upset a _Na Jaemin._ One thing that he is sure, upset Jaemin is a serious issue.

 

*

 

“You want to drink something?” asks Renjun while pulling the taller inside, fingers intertwining to each other.

 

“Water is enough, Junnie,” the boy replies softly, trying to sound tender but God knows it’s lethargy. Renjun nods knowingly before instructing Jaemin to sit down on the couch while he is taking his water. The boy plops down, dropping the duffle bag carelessly, and closes his eyes for a while until he hears the clinking sound of china being placed on the coffee table.

 

Renjun encourages him to take the water which Jaemin silently complies with. He sees the taller’s Adam's apple bobs when the water slides down his throat. _What thing that drove him up the wall like this?_ Renjun wonders to himself, still silently watching Jaemin.

 

“Sorry, if I’m bothering you, Jun,” Jaemin turns his head to face him after wiping a small drop of water under his lips with the cuff of his shirt, a sincere smile is playing on his face.

 

“Never, Jaemin.” Renjun intertwines their fingers again before reassuring the boy one more time. “You are never a bother.”

 

It is true. Jaemin is not a clingy boyfriend, nor did he need attention 24/7. They walk comfortably and simultaneously, never demanding each other’s presence so strongly except in a certain urgency. Despite his constant aegyo and flirty remarks, Jaemin is one of the coolest boyfriend this world can have, safe to say. And Renjun loves it, the fact that his boyfriend still respects his privacy and highly understands the concept of me-time. That’s why he respects Jaemin so much and every decision that he makes. Jaemin is a child and an adult at the same time.

 

“I see you are the one that’s bothered, Mr. Na,” says Renjun while squeezing his palm once. He smiles softly even though he hesitates if a smile is what Jaemin needs now. “Mind telling your handsome boyfriend?”

 

The taller cracks a wide smile, the blinding one he usually charms Renjun with. _Local black hole_ , claims the smaller one day because Jaemin enchants every creature with that sun-rivalling smile, like sugar to ants, all kinds of ant. Today, Renjun finds himself falls in love again with that smile, over and over again. He doesn’t mind since it’s the only fall that doesn’t hurt him mentally and physically.

 

Jaemin untangles their hands and bends down to lay on Renjun’s lap. The older automatically cards his fingers through the younger’s brown locks, putting both of them at ease. Jaemin remains silent for five minutes, enjoying Renjun’s sole existence and silently thanking the higher up for blessing his boyfriend with such a soft hand.

 

“I want to be taken care of. Just for one day.” Jaemin’s sentence surprises Renjun, stopping his busy hand on the younger’s hair.

 

“You- what?”

 

“I know. I know, I sound childish and I’m not insulted at all. I’m the big baby,” Jaemin smiles at Renjun. “But- I was tired from all the practicum. I just-”

 

Without the younger finishing his sentence, Renjun somehow understands where Jaemin is leading him. Being the oldest is hard, and Renjun knows that place very well too. Maybe all of the ordeals emerge from his university life but what triggers his tiredness, even more, must be that feeling. The realization of being the oldest, the one who carries one-three of the responsibility of his baby brother must dawn him in the middle of his class. Renjun has experienced this too, being babied and taken care of again by his parents. And he really cried because his parents refused to do so. It’s stupid, of course, but he couldn’t help the feeling of loneliness. Both of them are grown up, mature enough even to make their own decisions. They want to dote on other people but they can’t. Because they are adult.

 

Renjun continues combing his fingers on Jaemin’s hair while carefully forming his sentence and choosing his words when Jaemin speaks again.

 

“You don’t have to answer, Jun. I’m just emotionally driven,” says him, bringing Renjun’s unoccupied hand to his lips and kissing it tenderly. Renjun melts by the action, by how thoughtful his boyfriend is. Maybe he is right, what he needs now is not his theoretic speech but real-time action. Jaemin is always that kind of guy anyways. So, the older saves his words again and only nods. He cups Jaemin’s jawline with his two hands before leaning in to place a kiss on the boy’s chapped lips, long and loving, to show him that he is there to catch him no matter how mere his problem is.

 

When he pulls away close enough for him to smell Jaemin’s crazy daily intake of americano, Renjun whispers, “Sleep well, baby.”

 

Renjun’s voice brings him to the peacefulness of slumber where there are only him, Renjun, and the clear blue sky above them, and the sound of rustling tall grasses dancing along the autumn’s breeze.

 

*

 

Jaemin feels a weight on his chest, previously crawling from his side and now it’s on top of him. He frowns, stirring from the first good quality slumber he has since the midterm routine. There is a poke on his cheeks too this time, once, then twice. It doesn’t seem like Renjun’s because the boy never pokes him to wake him up. So, he decides to betray his body and flutters his eyelids open only to see Chenle and his pout in front of him. The kid is straddling him but not really since his legs are short and hang on each side of Jaemin’s ribcage. The older rubs his eyes lightly, hoping to see the small boy more clearly. Chenle looks so sleepy with that pout but his constant poking indicates that he is quite awake.

 

“Hey, baby,” greets Jaemin from his position with a sleep-addled smile and gruff voice. He tries to keep it low not to wake the older boy who falls asleep too. “Can you move first, Lele? Hyung, can’t move.”

 

Chenle nods and climbs down the bigger boy to the floor then plops down there cutely while rubbing his eyes again. Jaemin gently removes himself from Renjun, looking for a small pillow enough to reduce the pain on his neck later. He places it on the other side of the couch before gently moving Renjun from his sitting position to lying down on the cosy couch. The boy is barely alive even with the minute movements that Jaemin attempts. After Renjun’s moved to a more comfortable position, Jaemin huffs softly with Chenle looking at him confusedly. The boy looks at Renjun’s peaceful face, admiring the details of it. The long eyelashes that he compliments a lot, the cheeks he loves to dust pink with his pickup lines, the lips he loves so much for it’s plush and soft, contradicting to his chapped and rough ones, the jawline that he caresses a lot while kissing the light out of him.

 

Jaemin lets out a smile, this time more contented than what he did earlier. He takes off his leather jacket, the same jacket he wore when Renjun first kissed him, to cover the smaller body. Hopefully, it’s enough to transmit his body heat to the smaller boy. And maybe forms his figure in his dream too.

 

The boy scoops Chenle out, the baby immediately seeks warm and comfort from Jaemin’s neck and clutches on his white t-shirt. Jaemin pats his lower back in an attempt to put him back to sleep because the baby doesn’t look satisfied with the restless sleep he might have. The taller walks further away from the living room to the kitchen, still bouncing a little for Chenle.

 

“Hyung, I’m hungry,” Chenle speaks for the first time. Jaemin needs a double-take to reassure himself that it’s really the baby’s voice.

 

“You hungry?” the baby makes a sound of approval while nodding cutely. _So this is what Renjun called cute aggression,_ says Jaemin quietly.

 

“I see what I can do for you, big boy,” the older pats his cheek that’s evident softly before putting down the baby into the sprout high chair. “And while you’re waiting, how about playing with some aircraft models?”

 

Chenle beams for the first time since his awakening.

 

*

 

Renjun wakes up to the smell of various dishes and catches something like Chenle’s laughter from somewhere. He forces himself to wake up, finding himself not in the previous position with Jaemin on his laps but lying down on the couch. The jacket slips from his body and he picks it up, realizing that it’s Jaemin’s. Renjun is a little disoriented, with stomach grumbling angry at him and confusion clouding his sleep-addled mind. His thoughts are running recklessly and disorderly and he’d love to use some more minutes to sleep again but he knows it’s pointless. He checks the time, eyes widening at the Romans number the hands are pointing at.

 

7 PM and he hasn’t prepared Chenle’s food. The boy will _die_ before his parents’ eyes.

 

He hastily wakes up from his position, scurrying to the kitchen to start his new task when he halts in front of the doorframe. He rubs his eyes once, then twice, to make sure he is seeing things right. There are plates of various dishes on the table and Chenle is munching something like haemul pajeon, Korean seafood pancake, so happily. Grains of rice are scattered around his mouth as he passionately eats his food.

 

Renjun turns his head to Jaemin who only wears a body fit white undershirt and is in the middle of pouring stew from the pot, the very simple cloth that perfectly accentuates the boy’s muscular body. He turns around to place the small bowl of stew on the baby’s chair. He doesn’t miss the messy grains on Chenle’s face and wipes them with the bib hugging his neck.

 

“Next time I come here you should be able to eat neatly, okay? You are going to be a big boy and big boy doesn’t eat messily,” says Jaemin firmly yet affectionate while pinching the boy’s nose playfully. Chenle nods enthusiastically and with that, Jaemin retracts to take another hot pot for him.

 

The scene is endearing enough to melt Renjun’s feet to the floor like wax and attaching him there. Jaemin is cooking for Chenle, for him, even enough for the whole family. Jaemin, who a few hours ago said crestfallenly that he wanted to be babied, is now doing the otherwise.

 

“Injun, you’re checking me out again right in front of my-” Jaemin pivots to show his askance look while holding up the hot pot. “Army stew?”

 

The boy fully turns his body and places the hot pot on the table. He removes the gloves rather calmly then proceeds to sit down across Chenle. Renjun follows his movement in silence, finally noticing the aircraft models scattered around the table. Tears prick his eyes.

 

“I would really appreciate if you can review my- Injun?” Jaemin’s playful tone drops to a concerned one when he notices tears trickle down the smaller boy’s endlessly. The screech of the chair’s legs scraping the floor precedes Jaemin’s hurried steps towards Renjun.

 

The boy grasps both of his shoulders before saying, “Injun, hey. What’s wrong?” in the gentlest voice Renjun has ever heard. It makes him cry harder and Jaemin brings him into his embrace in confusion. The older tightens his arms around the other’s waist when he feels the boy's hand caresses his head.

 

They stay like that for what feels like an eternity until Renjun’s cry dies down into mere sniffles. Chenle’s voice breaks the silence, calling “Gege!” cheerfully, unaware of his older brother’s breakdown. Renjun immediately pulls away and wipes his face with the sleeve of his baggy shirt, trying to look normal in front of his little brother. He trudges toward the boy, scooping him out of the chair into his arms.

 

“Hi, Lele. Look at you, how messy you are,” he wipes Chenle’s broth-stained mouth with a tissue. “Do you enjoy your food? Sorry, I was fast asleep that I forgot it.”

 

“It’s okay, Ge! Jaemin hyung makes reaaaaaally nice foods! They are all delicious! Gege should eat too!”

 

Renjun nods with a smile before putting down the boy in the chair again. He wipes the unshed tears from his eyes, unable to contain the joy bubbling in his heart. Then, he feels Jaemin’s bigger hand envelopes his.

 

“Hey,” he starts. Renjun looks up at him, a soft smile growing on his face just like the boy in front of him. “Let’s eat. You must be hungry.”

 

“Jaemin, I’m sorry. You come to be taken care of and not the otherwise. I’m-” Jaemin’s plush lips have sealed him before he can finish his sentence and probably breaks down into tears again. It’s just a chaste, short-lived one but so full of affection and warmth, just like Jaemin in his effortlessness generally. Renjun can do nothing but submit into the other’s tenderness and wonder if “perfect” is an understatement for his loving boyfriend.

 

*

 

“My father uses his building miniatures to grab Chenle’s attention too. When I saw your aircraft models, I couldn’t help thinking that you resemble my father a lot.”

 

“Ow, is that a sign?”

 

“What sign?”

 

“That this brief domesticity will actually last longer in a more formal ritual.”

 

“Na Jaemin!”

 

"Na Injun!"

 

"Wha- Ugh."

 

“Can’t say I’m kidding but it’s not serious either. Don’t we want to build an aviation company first and dominate the world, do we?”

 

“But honestly, it was scary.”

 

“What?”

 

“... The domes- I kinda see you… Like- several times… Howtosaythiswithoutcreepingyouup? You know, you have that fatherly side it’s so natural that I wonder if it’s my wild imagination or it’s you who is _wild_.”

 

“Is that the implicit form of ‘I want you to be my husband’?”

 

“Nevermind, Jaemin. I’m breaking up with you.”

 

“Noooo~”

 

*

 

The autumn breeze blows into Renjun’s room through the half-opened glass door, resonating Chenle’s laughter in the quiet room. Renjun sits cross-legged on his bed, a smile blooming on his face despite the cold gush pricking his skin. In the balcony, there is Jaemin carrying Chenle in one arm and the other one is piloting one of the jet plane models. Every manoeuvre emits laughter from the little boy, every story about an amazing journey around the world brings Chenle closer to the dreamland, and what’s left is the picture of his boyfriend, swaying slowly to an unnamed song that he hums, and his little brother, cosy and warm, in his arms under the layer of stars.

**Author's Note:**

> unbetaed and the usual 3AM word vomit. thank you for reading! talk to me in tumblr @murkcurry


End file.
